HOPPER, EARL PEARSON JR.
Name: Earl Pearson Hopper, Jr.
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit: 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Udorn AB TH
Date of Birth: 21 July 1943
Home City of Record: Glendale AZ
Date of Loss: 10 January 1968
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 202559N 1044659E (VH774777)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F4D
Other Personnel In Incident: Keith N. Hall (released POW)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 October 1990 from information
provided by Col. Earl P. Hopper, Sr. (USA, ret.) and Patty Skelly of Task Force
Omega, Inc., as well as information from a December, 1984 article by Larry J.
O'Daniel. Other information from one more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, published sources, interviews. Updated by the
P.O.W. NETWORK
REMARKS: EJECTION PROBS/DWN/CRASH
SYNOPSIS: Capt. Keith N. Hall and 1Lt. Earl P. Hopper, Jr. were pilots assigned
to the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Udorn Airbase, Thailand. On
January 10, 1968 the two flew their first mission together on an "aircap"
mission over Hanoi. Hall was the pilot, and Hopper flew as Bombardier/Navigator
on the flight. During the mission, the aircraft was damaged by a SAM missile
exploding 100 feet below and to the right of the aircraft, knocking out the
hydraulic system. Neither Hall nor Hopper was injured by the blast.
After some initial ejection problems, Capt. Hall, was able to bail out. [Note:
Normal ejection sequence calls for the backseater to bail out first, followed a
few seconds later by the pilot.] Other pilots in the flight marked Hall's
position, then continued with Hopper as he headed for Laos.
Hopper was about 15 miles north of Muong Min in Hoa Binh Province and nearly to
the border of Laos when he ejected. Hall had ejected about 20 miles to the east.
The accompanying pilots observed the canopy of the aircraft and Hopper's
ejection seat leave the aircraft as the aircraft was about to enter a 5,000 foot
overcast. The pilots also picked up two emergency radio signals, one very strong
and the other rather weak, indicating that both men reached the ground.
Hall was captured about 40 minutes after he bailed out. Hopper's radio signal
was tracked for three consecutive days in the rugged, mountainous area where
the aircraft went down. On the second or third day, a pilot monitoring the
beeper gave Hopper's recognition code and said, "Lt. Hopper, if that's you, give
me 15-second intervals (in his radio signal)." The pilot received six 15-second
intervals in a positive response. This information was released to the family in
a February 8, 1968 communique. On about the third day, a ground search team was
inserted into the area, and recovered Hopper's radio, but no trace of Hopper was
found.
Hall was captured by the North Vietnamese and released in 1973. Hall was closely
interrogated regarding personal information about Hopper, but knew little. The
Vietnamese guard was noncommittal when Hall asked if Hopper was also a prisoner.
On July 14, 1982, "due to the length of time missing and with no information to
prove he is alive," Hopper's official status, Missing In Action, was changed to
Presumed Killed In Action. Only two months later, a three-man judiciary
committee from the U.S. Justice Department, Foreign Claims Settlement
Commission, found officially that Hopper should have been classified Prisoner of
War, not Missing In Action.
During the first few months of 1984, the Hopper family learned that CIA had
always listed Hopper as a POW. Further, CIA files revealed that the agency had
tracked Hopper as he headed for a "safe" area in Laos, that there were heavy
concentrations of NVA and Pathet Lao troops in the area searching for the downed
pilot, and that the CIA sent a free Lao team to extract him. When Hopper knew he
was in imminent danger of being captured, he locked the transmission key on his
radio in the "on" position, extended the antenna, and hid it, thus marking his
location of capture for the search team.
From 1981 to 1984, Major Mark A. Smith (a returned POW from Vietnam) and SFC
Melvin McIntyre, both attached to Special Forces Detachment, Korea (SFDK) were
pursuing DIA instructions to gather intelligence on American POWs who remained
in captivity in Southeast Asia. Smith and McIntyre, who did not believe
Americans were held, obtained specific information which convinced them that
Americans were still alive at that time, held captive. Among other evidence
presented to the U.S. was a list of some 26 Americans by name and captivity
location. Earl Hopper's name was on the list.
In 1984, Maj. Smith received word that on 11 May three U.S. POWs would be
brought to a given location on the Lao/Thai border. The only prerequisite was
that the POWs be received by an American. Smith's request to stand on the border
and wait for delivery was refused, and he and his team were commanded to remain
in Korea. If the three Americans were brought to the border, no one was there to
receive them. Smith and McIntyre believed Hopper to be one of the three men.
The information obtained by Smith and McIntyre was provided under oath to the
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on January 28, 1986, and included in a lawsuit
the two initiated against the U.S. Government for its failure to protect the
rights of live American POWs in Southeast Asia.
Parents Earl and Betty Hopper have diligently sought information on their son
and others who disappeared in Southeast Asia. They believe there is actionable
evidence that some are still alive in captivity. Until that evidence is acted
upon, and proof is obtained to the contrary, they will not give up hope that
their son is alive.
1Lt. Earl Hopper graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1965 and was promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the period he was maintained missing.
This in from Task Force Omega:
===============
18 February 1998
Bette Lee Hopper, mother of Lt. Col. Earl P. Hopper, Jr., Missing in
Action over North Vietnam since 10 January 1968, passed away at 4:25 AM,
17 February 1998, at age 74. She suffered for many years with
Alzheimer's and died due to complications of that disease.
Bette Hopper is survived by her husband, Col. Earl P. Hopper, Sr., US
Army, Retired; sons Michael B. Hopper, Larry D. Hopper, Daniel W. Hopper
and D. David Hopper. She also leaves 11 grandchildren and 1 great
grandchild.
For many years Bette was very active in the National League of Families
of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. During those years, she
worked tirelessly for not only the return of her oldest son, but also
for the return of all POW/MIAs from throughout Southeast Asia. She was
always very adamant in her belief that Live Prisoners of War were
abandoned for political expediency at the conclusion of the Vietnam War,
and often voiced her opinion to US Government and military officials,
POW/MIA families and to the American public. Further, she was certain
that her missing son, along with many other POW/MIAs, remained alive and
held captive by enemy forces in Southeast Asia.
Bette, though frank and outspoken, had many friends in the POW/MIA
community. Her untiring efforts earned her great respect throughout the
country. Prior to her illness, her advise and counsel were sought by
many.
Bette will be remembered by family and friends alike for her unwavering
love of family, devotion to her children and grandchildren and her great
tenacity in her unending quest to find and return her first-born son to
the nation he fought so valiantly for. She believed, as did many other
POW/MIA family members, that it was her strong responsibility to do
everything within her power to learn the truth about what happened to
her son.
We ask that her fight for the return of all Prisoners of War - both
alive and dead - be continued in her absence.
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